Category Archives: Colombia

A day of Passion!

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Had a long, but exciting day, with some interesting doctors – who are strikingly passionate about their work, which is always wonderful to see.

This morning, I traveled out to Chia, to the University of Sabana to visit with Dr. Camilo Osorio Barker, MD who is the Dean of Medicine, (and a practicing thoracic surgeon.)  Like many thoracic surgeons here in Colombia, Dr. Osorio practices at several locations, (primarily out in Chia at the University-affiliated hospital) but he also sees patients at Cardioinfantil. (He is partnered with Dr. Tellez and Dr. Garzon, both of whom we’ve interviewed previously)

One three- day weekend a month, he sees patients in Medellin.  He primarily specializes in the treatment of hyperhidrosis (excess sweating of palms, facial flushing) by thorascopic sympathectomy.  He report that this makes up about 90% of his practice – with the remainder of cases as VATS lung resections, and other lung procedures.    There’s a lot more to tell – but it’s been a long day, and I have an early appointment tomorrow with Dr. Ramon (neurosurgery) at Hospital Centro de Policia..

Don’t worry – I will be seeing Dr. Osorio again soon.

Next stop was Dr. Fernando Hakim, a neurosurgeon at Santa Fe de Bogota.  He was a fantastic interview – while he does the whole spectrum of neurosurgical procedures for vascular malformations, tumors, spinal problems, etc, he is best known for his treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

(As I mentioned in a previous post) It seems almost inevitable, or inescapable that the son of the famed Dr. Salomon Hakim (who developed the first treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus) – has carried on his father’s legacy. But Dr. Fernando Hakim is passionate about neurosurgery, and has certainly made his mark..

He clearly loves his work – I could have interviewed him for hours, and hours (but he’s a busy neurosurgeon, so I didn’t).  I will be seeing him again soon – (next week) and I’ll bring more information then.

Lastly, I stopped in to see Dr. Jose Felix Castro, general surgeon for a quick visit to get some last minute information for another project I am working on..

Dr. Constanza Moreno Serrano, Hand & Microsurgeon

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Dra. Constanza Moreno is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and microsurgery.  She specializes in the treatment of traumatic injuries such as digital and limb re-attachment, reconstructive surgery and correction of congenital deformities.  Next week she is traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to give a presentation at the International Hand and Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Society on the Hand Transplant Program she is developing at Santa Fe de Bogota.  Her aim is to restore limbs (and functionality) to the lives of Colombians affected by landmines. 

I hope to follow her to the operating room when she returns.. Look for more exciting news from this gracious physician in the future..

Colombia and Landmines

21 April 2011 – since I originally posted, I’ve received a lot of questions about hand tranplantation.. Here’s a Yahoo article discussing a recent hand transplant.

Journey into Neurosurgery

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Delving into the depths of neurosurgery today with Dr. Enrique Jimenez-Hakim at Santa Fe de Bogota. For someone like me with no neurosurgery background (other than the required rotations in school), this brings a lot of trepidation. But Dr. Jimenez – Hakim was exceedingly kind and patient despite all of my questions.

Dr. Jimenez – Hakim is part of a busy four surgeon Neurosurgery department at the Santa Fe de Bogota, which performs 500 – 600 cases per year, with a neurosurgery residency program through El Bosque University.

Interestingly, Dr. Jimenez – Hakim has personal legacy of neurosurgery. Both he and his cousin, Dr. Fernando Hakim Daccach are second generation neurosurgeons. Their fathers, were some of the first neurosurgeons in Colombia. Notably, Dr. Salomon Hakim (Dr. Enrique Jimenez-Hakim’s uncle) was a pioneer in the treatment of hydrocephalus and the develpment of the first unidirection valve for drainage of excess CSF. (There was an early valve developed in 1949 by another neurosurgeon but it was poorly functioning.) All valves developed since Dr. Hakim’s valve have been based on his design.

This legacy has certainly been something for Dr. Jimenez – Hakim and Dr. Fernando Hakim to live up to – and they have. (more about that later).

Planning to to go the operating room with Dr. Jimenez – Hakim as soon as he returns from giving a lecture at the Latin American forum in Mexico City – on awake craniotomies.

More about Dr. Jimenez – Hakim, and neurosurgery in Bogota, Colombia.

In the the OR with Dr. Juan Pablo Umana & Dr. Ricardo Nasser

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Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, cardiac surgeon

Dr. Juan Pablo Umana

Cardiac Surgeon at Fundacion Cardioinfantil

Spent the morning in the operating room with Dr. Juan Pablo Umana. Dr. Umana is the Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at Cardioinfantil.

Ran into an old friend while I was there..

Dr. Jose Pomares, Anesthesia

Dr. Pomares was a anesthesia resident over at Medihelp in Cartagena, when I was writing hidden gem.. I recognized those emerald eyes right away.. (not sure if I would have recognized him without the mask.)

Dr. Umana had another case, but so did I – over at Santa Fe de Bogota..

Went back to see Dr. Ricardo Nasser, Chief of Bariatric Surgery. He just returned from the Bariatric Surgery conference in Cartagena, and was back at work, in the operating room.

Dr. Ricardo Nasser

Bariatric Surgeon – Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota

Dr. Richard Nasser, Bariatric surgeon

Back in the OR with Ivan Santos

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Back in the operating room today with Dr. Ivan Santos at Clinica Shaio.  Dr. Santos was in perfect form, as always..  (I swear, watching him in the operating room is like watching a conductor with a 160 member orchestra..He sees and notices everything.)

Between cases with Dr. Ivan Santos, plastic surgeon

He was assisted by Dr. Julie Alfonso today.

with Dr. Julie Alfonso, plastic surgeon

If you want to see & learn more about Dr. Ivan Santos – he has his own YouTube channel.. (It’s in Spanish.)

Single port laparoscopy

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Single port laparoscopy with Dr. Arias

Over at Medscape – everyone is excited about single port laparoscopy.. But as Dr. Arias and Dr. Castro can tell you, that’s nothing new in Bogota, Colombia – just standard operating procedure.

Single Port Laparoscopy article at Medscape

Youtube movie with Dr. Arias – filmed several years ago.

 

 

In the OR with Dr. Freddy Sanabria, plastic surgeon

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Dr. Sanabria

with Dr. Freddy Sanabria, plastic surgeon

Spent the morning with Dr. Sanabria, at his clinic in North Bogotá (Usaquen) which was a treat. (I have lots of great things to say – but for more in-depth information, you’ll have to buy the book. 😉  I will say that surgical conditions were excellent, technique and skills were impeccable.

Working on my next possible article, which just may feature the good doctor.. Guess you’ll all have to wait and find out. (If the editor passes – I’ll post here.)

Update:  3/2012:  Readers know that I put little stock in ‘testimonials’ but I’ll include them (by readers multiple requests) when I find them.. or otherwise stumble across them – since this isn’t an ad agency..

Dr. Freddy Sanabria

The Umana Phenomenon

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Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, Cardioinfantil

Since starting the Bogota project, I’ve followed the reported statistics for the blog – which tells me what my readers are looking for, and what they want.. Much of this is as expected – heavily advertised plastic surgeons bring a lot of traffic to the site – and the cardiovascular topics (cardiac surgery, carotid disease) bring quite a few readers to the sister site,  cartagenasurgery, so I’ve tried to gear some of the discussions to what people have been looking for..

But then, there are findings that are not what I expected:
And the biggest surprise of all has been the continued fascination/ success / popularity of Dr. Juan Pablo Umana..

in the operating room with Dr. Juan Pablo Umana

Or perhaps, I should phrase that better: after meeting and interviewing with Dr. Umana – his professional success as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Cardioinfantil is certainly NO surprise.. what has surprised me is his consistent ranking as the #1 search term for this/ and the cartagena surgery website..

In fact, this week; “Dr. Juan Pablo Umana”, “Juan P. Umana,” and “Umana, cardioinfantil” are the top three search terms, respectively.

I spoke to him about it (he’s just as surprised as I am; heart surgeons are not usually web celebrities, if you exclude Dr. Oz) and we are planning to meet again, so I can try and give my readers what they want.. So, if there is anything specific that you want to know – drop me a line or a comment, and I will be sure to ask him at our next meeting.  But now I’ve got to run and meet Dr. Sanabria..

Dr. Francisco Cabal, Dr. Jaime Rojas, Orthopedics

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Dr. Cabal, (left) and Dr. Rojas, Orthopedic Surgeons

Good morning over at Clinica del Country with Dr. Francisco Cabal, and Dr. Jaime Rojas in an interesting orthopedic case this morning.. Everything was beautifully smooth – great anesthesia with Dr. Douglas Leal.. Attended a nursing lecture on orthopedic patients..

Interview with Dr. Edgar Prieto, General and Biliary surgeon this evening.. Clinica de la Mujer is reviewing my credentials before I check out their OR. Supposed to hear back this evening – in time for Dr. Prieto’s cases..

cardioinfantil

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at Cardioinfantil

Another morning in the operating room theater at Cardioinfantil.. Always great to watch Dr. Garzon at work – smooth and effortless, every time.

Spent this afternoon interviewing a general surgeon, Dr. Joaquin Guerra Nino over at Clinica de la Mujer..

More time in the OR tomorrow with Dr. Cabal with interviews in the afternoon..
Finished a tenative cover design for the new book.. Going to get some feedback, and then I’ll post it for your review..

Busy week coming up!

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Spent this morning rounding with a thoracic surgeon, hearing about cases.. Had a lot of pediatric cases which was interesting – (I don’t do any pediatrics). Still haven’t been able to get a hold of a few of the surgeons I would like to interview..

Next week should be pretty busy; Monday is a holiday but the rest of the week is pretty booked; to the OR with Dr. Cabal and Dr. Sanabria, meeting with Dr. Joaquin Guerra, general surgeon and Dr. Edgar Prieto, a hepatic and biliary surgeon. Hoping to set up a few more appointments..

New Article at Colombia Reports

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Read my latest article at Colombia Reports.com:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/14923-bogota-hospital-offers-hope-to-abdominal-cancer-patients.html

To the OR with Dr. Abello, Orthopedics

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Going to the OR today with Dr.  Sergio Abello, the Foot and Ankle surgeon I mentioned previously. He has six cases today, so it will be a full day. It’s several different procedures, so it should be pretty interesting – and a change from what I’ve been seeing for the last few weeks..

Dr. Sergio Abello, prior to ankle arthroscopy case

 

Met with Dr. Alfredo Hoyos, Plastic Surgeon yesterday – despite his over-the-top website, he seemed pretty down to earth. I’ll be going to the operating room with him at the Santa Barbara Surgical Center on Thursday. He’s actually a pretty interesting guy, and I am really interested in seeing the sculpting liposuction.

Tried to chase down Dr. Camilo Prieto and Dr. Alan Gonzalez yesterday. I heard Dr. Gonzalez is getting married this weekend – so I’ll give him a bit of a pass – I’m guessing his life is probably pretty hectic right now, (so we’ll come back to him later).

Stopped in at Dr. Prieto’s office, hoping to catch him, since my messages haven’t gotten a response – and got stuck leaving another message, but we’ll see if we get any response. I hate to give up – he’s one of the most popular plastic surgeons down here, and well advertised on the internet – so I think he should definitely be included.. But I can’t make people talk to me, so if I don’t get a response this time, I may have to reconsider.

Haven’t gotten anything booked for Saturday, but I am still working on it – I hate to miss any day when the ORs are running..

(center) with nurses at Shaio

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I apologize to all the great doctors who gave me their time and effort – but didn’t make it on the web page (don’t worry, they will be in the book!)

Dr. Santos, Clinica Shaio

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Dr. Hernando Santos, cardiac surgeon at Shaio

Spent the morning with Dr. Hernando Santos, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Clinica Shaio for aortic valve replacement.

Got some great intra-operative photos (with patient’s permission, of course!) but I’ll spare the squeamish.

Dr. Rudolfo Reyes, plastic surgeon

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Dr. Reyes, on the Right

Spent the afternoon with Dr. Reyes in the operating room.. Happy to report that I remembered I had a camera in my back pocket this time.. (you may recognize Dr. Reyes from Dr. Santo’s OR, but with the masks, maybe not.) Dr. Alvaro Pedraza, ENT assisted.

In the OR with Drs. Roa

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Went to the OR today with the doctors Roa (father and son) for combination plastic surgery procedures..

Interviewed Dr. Cure – a neurosurgeon – hope to follow him to the OR soon.. Off to surgery with Dr. Rudolfo Reyes tomorrow..  More information to follow when I get some time!

Dr. Sergio Abello and Dr. Felipe Roa

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Met with Dr. Sergio Abello, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery and Dr. Felipe Roa, plastic surgeon.. Dr. Roa is the son of Dr. Tito Roa, and they share a practice..

Planning to follow both of them to the OR tomorrow and next week..

Dr. Francisco Cabal, Orthopedics

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Met with Dr. Francisco Cabal, orthopedic surgeon and international medical advisor (for Colombia) again, and he bids me to extend a warm welcome on his behalf to all North American patients coming to Colombia.  He also states that he is here to help ANY patient, interested in going to ANY city in Colombia for surgery including Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Bogota and all parts in between.  I’ll be following him to the OR soon – more later.. 

Lest you think surgeons aren’t sympathetic to your discomfort – Dr. Cabal recently had ankle surgery, so he is definately walking a mile in your shoes..

Also met with Dr. Tito Tulio Roa, plastic surgeon, who has the distinction of having taught most of the plastic surgeons here in Colombia.

Filled up my date book with more interviews, and surgeries for the next few weeks..

Meeting with Mauricio Pelaez, Thoracic Surgeon later this afternoon, so I’ll post and let you know how that goes..

Rescheduled with the famous Dr. Hoyos – more on that next week.

Dr. Santos, almost Dr. Hoyos and Dr. Castro

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Full day today – met with Dr. Hernando Santos at Clinica Shaio – and I’ll be heading to the OR with him on Monday..

 Dr. Hoyos – he was in surgery when I arrived for our appointment, so I’ll try again soon..

Spent the evening with Dr. (Jose) Felix Castro, a very nice general surgeon, on staff at Clinica del Country.. Followed him to the OR for a case –

Dr. Ivan Santos, plastic surgery

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Dr. Ivan Santos

Dr. Ivan Santos, (right)

Spent time in the operating room at Shaio watching Dr. Ivan Santos operate this morning.  Operating rooms are large, clean, well-lit and all equipment is modern and fully functional.

Dr. Santos operates with a second surgeon assisting, Dr. Rudolfo Reyes.  Today’s case which was a combination of body and facial procedures was performed under a combination of local and conscious sedation.  Patient appeared comfortable during the procedure and all standardized intra-operative protocols were followed.  Sterility was maintained throughout the case.  (No intra-operative photos taken with patient in view – for privacy concerns.)

The particular case was more complex that average – patient was undergoing a revision after previous surgery several years ago (with another surgeon).  Dr. Santos was meticulous in attention to detail, calm and pleasant in demeanor, and aggressive in surgical management.  He has a good rapport with his OR team, who were able to anticipate his needs.

Going back on Monday for another case.

Note: Be careful when searching the internet for doctor information – there is a lot of disinformation out there (which is why I am writing a book).  Currently there is a doctor impersonating Dr. Ivan Santos – if you do a search for Dr. Santos – this doctor comes up, claiming to be in practice with him.  Please be careful everyone!)

More about Dr. Ivan Santos:

Back in the OR with Ivan Santos

Bogota’s celebrity surgeons

Bogota’s Hottest Surgeons

Dr. Ivan Santos and Clinica Shaio

Thoracics..

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This will be a quick post this evening before I run back out to catch another case.

Spent most of the morning in the OR with Dr. Mario Andres Lopez Ordenez (Thoracic Surgery) over at Mederi.. Complex case but he handled it beautifully. (and I remembered to get photos, so I will post later when I have more time.)

Dr. Mario Andre Lopez

Dr. Mario Lopez, Thoracic Surgeon

Then I raced over to meet with Dr. Luis Jaime Tellez Rodriguez (Thoracic Surgery) over at Cardioinfantil.  He works with Dr. Garzon.   No surgery this afternoon, but just give me time!  To be fair – he’s a lot like Dr. Edgar Guiterrez, (Cartagena) and he sees patients at several facilities; Cardioinfantil, Clinica Colombia, Clinica Reina Sofia. 

Now I’m getting ready to head back over to see Dr. Fernando Arias at Santa Fe de Bogota.  I interviewed him this afternoon – he’s a real interesting guy so I’ll write more about him later – but now I am heading back to see him at work.

Dr. Fernando Arias

Dr. Fernando Arias, General & Oncology Surgeon

A delightful surprise

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Caught up with Dr. Ivan Santos, plastic surgeon today.  What a delightful surprise!  After all I had read and seen, I had expected an arrogant self-important surgeon – but that certainly wasn’t the reality.  (To all you naysayers who think that surgeons being interviewed by a relatively obscure nurse are always on their best behavior – well – that’s just not the case.)

I will tell you answers to the rumors floating around Bogota (which are):

1.  Dr. Santos is so busy, he often sleeps in his car between cases..  TRUE.. He loves to work – used to operate seven days a week, but now down to six..

2.  He isn’t related to Dr. Hernando Santos Calderon (heart surgeon at Shaio) and President Juan Manual Santos (President of Colombia.)  Okay, only an NP in cardiothoracic surgery would rank it that way – but there you have it.

Don’t let his youthful good looks fool you, at 41, Dr. Santos is a seasoned, experienced surgeon.  I’ll tell you more when I get back from the operating room on Saturday.

And as you know, if you want the real stats, you have to wait for the book..

Interview with Dr. Freddy Sanabria

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Here’s some of the highlights from one of today’s interviews – with Dr. Freddy Sanabria, a charming young plastic surgeon operating here in Bogota – across the street from Santa Fe de Bogota, as a matter of fact.

He does a wide range of procedures including plastic / aesthetic surgery of face and body as well as offering a variety of injectables, laser procedures, and other treatments.

He has a full OR set up contained within two floors of the Centro Medico de La Sabana building.  The equipment was refreshing modern, along with the facility itself, with good lighting and nice sized ORs.

His English is excellent, and polished, courtesy of several training stints in the US as a medical student, and later, as a resident.  He has a series of infomercials on YouTube in Spanish with English subtitles..

I won’t be able to tell you much more until I take a trip to the OR. (and I’m saving the best details for the book!)

Bogota notes

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Re-post from sister site.

January 27th, 2011 – Surgical Tourism in Bogota, Colombia

Fundacion Cardioinfantil

Currently working on my latest project – here in Bogota, Colombia.  So far everyone I’ve contacted has been wonderfully gracious – even with very little notice! 

Chief of (adult) Cardiac Surgery, Dr. Juan Pablo Umana and Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Dr. Nestor Sandoval; Fundacion Cardioinfantil
January 31, 2011
Spending some more time over at Cardioinfantil this afternoon. I have been contacting surgeons all over the city, and my schedule is quickly filling up. 
Talked with Dr. Renato Bresciano, a very nice (talented) pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and visited one of his patients in the NICU this afternoon – a little baby girl just out of the operating room.  Spoke with the nursing staff – it’s great how nurses from everywhere  – we all connect, and all care and worry about the same things.
 
I’ll be over at the Shaio Clinic later this week.
10 February 2011 –
It’s been a busy week – at Clinica Shaio, Cardioinfantil, Clinica del Country (San Sebastian) and tomorrow SaludCoop.. In between all of that – I’ve been hitting the pavement to check out some private clinics..
12 February 2011
Not enough hours in the day – racing around Bogota, all day, everyday, meeting new people, taking notes, photos..  talking to patients in hospitals, shaking hands – trying to get a glimpse inside at the everyday workings..  Then back to the apartment at night, typing, typing, typing.. Researching, emailing, requesting more interviews..
My main expense these days is the cab fare..  Already booked up with meetings for the next two weeks, but I’ll try to squeeze as many as possible in – without crowding.. Still going to the ORs – since that’s the real reality for our patients.. Spending as much time as I can at each site, going back for second, third, fourth, even fifth visits  – until I almost feel like staff sometimes..
Next week – Bariatric week..
with Dr. Urazon, Plastic Surgeon

 

15 February 2011 – wow – what a different an hour makes..
when you are in the company of Dr. Chaux, Bariatric surgeon.. I spent much of the day with Dr. Chaux and his group – in the operating room, observing.. All procedures in under an hour.. (Roux N Y gastric bypass, sleeve ect..) Don’t worry – he certainly wasn’t rushed about it – just efficient, meticulous..

24 February 2011
Been too busy meeting physicians, spending time in the OR and writing to keep up.. Spent time with a talented young Thoracic surgeon today, Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon. Sorry, no pictures this time – too busy to stop and take any! (which frequently happens).

Met quite a few terrific surgeons, spending a lot of time on my feet, peeking over their shoulders so I can tell my readers everything they need to know. A couple more surgeries tomorrow and a full weekend too..

More Bariatrics please!

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If you’ve been following my reports on Cartagenasurgery.wordpress.com then you know I’ve been meeting with bariatric surgeons across the city. Today I met with Dr. Richardo Nassar Bechara, who is the Chief of the Bariatric Surgery program at Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota. He is part of a comprehensive Obesity Clinic program which includes multiple specialties and comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Right now he is preparing for the upcoming Latin American Congress on Obesity and Obesity Surgery so he has no surgery planned for several days. (Don’t worry – I’ll be going to the OR soon so I can report back to all of you.)

The program stresses lifestyle change and includes cardiology, endocrinology, physical therapy, nutrition, psychiatry and internal medicine.

Part of the program includes the VidActiva gym which offers personalized training programs with cardiovascular exercise, weight training, complimentary health services such as tai chi, dance, pilates, acupuncture and massage therapy. The clinic is staffed full-time with a sports medicine physician.

Bariatric surgery in the medical news

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New article on Medscape (a medical literature website for health care providers) discussing the benefits of bariatric surgery.  In this article they cite a surgery cost of at least $30,000 which is out of reach for many of the people who need it;  as morbid obesity and related complications push up health care costs for individuals.

I’ve posted the link for you to read it for yourself:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726966?src=mp&spon=22&uac=63155MX

this website does require registration, (which I think is free.)

But as my readers know, there are more cost-effective alternatives, as mentioned in the entire chapter devoted to bariatric surgery in Cartagena.

As readers know, in that chapter, I introduce you to one of Latin America’s most famous surgeons, Dr. Holguin, a former trauma surgeon at Maryland’s Shock Trauma hospital in Baltimore, MY in addition to several other excellent surgeons.  Most North Americans don’t know it but Cartagena is fast gaining a reputation for excellence in bariatric surgery, and is becoming a destination of choice for gastric bypass, lap-band, sleeve resection and other bariatric surgery procedures.